Film study: Observations from the highlight tape of Florida athlete Ryan Mayes

I wrote yesterday that Ryan Mayes, a wide receiver/defensive back hybrid out of Florida, called Syracuse his "top choice" at this point in the recruiting process due to his strong relationship with offensive coordinator George McDonald.

Mayes, who plays at football powerhouse Miami Northwestern, told me McDonald offered him a scholarship and the opportunity to play any of three positions at the next level: wide receiver, cornerback, free safety.

But where will he fit best? What are Mayes' best attributes? What does he need to work on before joining the college ranks?

I watched Mayes' highlight film to find out. Here are my observations:

Great instincts: Throughout the video, Mayes shows an ability to read plays defensively and anticipate routes. This is first evident at the :24 mark, where he leaves the receiver he is covering and correctly jumps an underneath route to prevent yards after catch. He demonstrates that skill again at 1:57, breaking hard on a curl route to poke the ball away from a receiver before he's able to make the catch.

Mayes also shows his understanding of the defense as a whole by trusting his teammates in zone coverage. He sits in the flat at the 3:56 mark knowing he has help over the top, and he is able to deflect a pass.

Poor tackler: When I spoke to Mayes earlier this week, he told me he loves playing defense because he enjoys hitting. This creates an interesting but important distinction between hitting and tackling. Time and again during the tape Mayes struggles to tackle a defender in space one on one. At :45 a wide receiver breaks free of his arm tackle for an extra few yards (before Mayes recovers and forces a fumble), at :58 a running back drags him toward the goal line and at 3:35 he overruns the ball and has to make a shoestring tackle.

On other plays, though, Mayes dishes out big hits and big blocks. It appears that he is very capable of coming up and making a hit on a running back or receiver as soon as that player takes possession of the ball. But he really has problems stopping players one on one when he is alone in space. It reminds me a lot of Syracuse free safety Jeremi Wilkes, who loves to make big hits in the running game but is a poor form tackler. He almost always leads with his shoulder but struggles to wrap up with his arms.

Impressive open-field ability: Both Luther Campbell, the defensive coordinator at Miami Northwestern, and T.Y. Conyers, the offensive coordinator, told me Mayes is dangerous in the return game. His highlight tape backs that up and then some.

Mayes shows tremendous vision while returning kicks, punts, interceptions or in space on offense. Perhaps his most impressive play comes at the 2:08 mark, where he takes a short screen pass more than 45 yards for the touchdown, weaving away from three tacklers in the process. At 6:51 he returns a punt for a touchdown by changing direction on a dime near midfield, forcing several of his opponents to collide in the process.

Mayes told me he would be very open to playing special teams in college, and I think he would have no problem doing so.

Best fit at cornerback or wide receiver: Though McDonald told Mayes he will have the opportunity to test his skills at multiple positions in college, I think free safety is probably a bit unrealistic. Mayes possesses the big-hit ability to come up in run support or on a short route and make a play, but he is not a good enough tackler to stop a running back or receiver that has broken through to the third level.

I think his best option would be to play either wide receiver or cornerback. Mayes said playing receiver comes naturally to him, so perhaps that is the route to pursue. His elusiveness and agility are well above average, making him dangerous on the outside as a receiver or even out of the backfield. His strong instincts could make him a very serviceable cornerback at the next level as well, but the poor tackling is a serious concern.